37b9e9cd-9fc5-4c98-a12f-660c7d4be708Lovells is extending an outsourcing programme for document production work across its London office, with the firm also in the process of piloting the scheme in several international offices.

The top 10 City law firm is planning to send document production work from all practice areas to Exigent in Cape Town, following a pilot scheme launched in its London real estate practice last year.

Work including digital dictation and document amendments will now be sent to Exigent, with the rollout expected to be complete across all London practices by the end of the third quarter.

The firm is also in the early stages of piloting a rollout in both Paris and Moscow. This is expected to be extended to other international offices over the next few weeks, although the service will only cover English language document production work.

Lovells declined to comment on how much it expects to save through the scheme. Separately, the firm is also considering broader outsourcing plans which could see it send out aspects of its IT and finance functions to external providers, although a final decision has yet to be taken.

The plans come as growing numbers of City firms consider cutting costs through outsourcing and offshoring. Magic circle firm Linklaters has been sending a small amount of document production work to Exigent in Australia for several years. As Legal Week reported last month (23 April) Allen & Overy is weighing up options to contract out more back-office work as part of a review of its outsourcing arrangements.